Indian Antiquary Vol 62

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 184

172
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
SEPTEMBER, 1933
There can be no doubt that Mr. Sewell had good grounds on which he based the above opinion; and it is hence all the more remarkable that in the few dates that I have met with which seem to cite mean samkrantis, these mean samkrantis are calculated from the moment of occurrence of true, and not mean, Meşa-samkranti. These dates are but five in number and are the following:
1. Date of Arsikere inscription of the time of ViraballAļa II (Ep. Car., V. Arsikere 93 ; p. 344): Saka 1111 Kilaka, Pusya-amávásya, Bhanurára, vyati páta-samkramana.
Saka 1lll current Kilaka by the southern luni-solar system. In this year, Puşyaamåvåsyd (i.e., the amávisyd at the end of the amanta month Pusya) ended on Tuesday, 20th December, and Monday, 19th December, A.D. 1188, according to the mean and true systems of working. No samkranti, mean or true, was associated with either of these two days; and the date is hero irregular for this year. It is likewise irregular for the northern luni-solar Kilaka also (concerning the use of northern luni-solar Jovian years in S. India, see my Some Saka Dates in Inscriptions, p. 4 ff.); for, in this year, Pusya-amâvâsyå began, by the mean as well as true system of working, on Monday, 3rd December 1184, and ended on the next day, Tuesday, 4th December, and there was no samkranti, mean or true, associated with either of these days. In the year following this northern luni-solar Kilaka however (regarding such years, see p. 35 ff. in op. cit.) or the year but one preceding the southern luni-solar Kilaka (see regarding such years, p. 45, op. cit.), true Mesa-samkranti, according to the Brahma Siddhanta, occurred at llh. 45m. 4ls, on Saturday, 23rd March 1185 A.D., and the mean Makara-samkranti, counting from this moment, occurred 273 days 22h. 39m. 6s. later on Sunday, 22nd December 1185, at 10h. 24m. 478. The mean Puşya-amâvâsyå too began on this Sunday at 14h. 17m. 0s. The mean Meşa-samkranti occurred on Monday, 25th March, at 15h. 54m. 548, and the mean Makara-samkranti, counting from this moment, at 14h. 34m. 0s. on Tuesday, 24th December 1185, on which day the mean tithi Puşya-ba l ended and ba-2 began. The true Makara-samkranti too occurred on that Tuesday at 3h. 52m. 31s.
It is thus obvious that Sunday, 22nd December 1185 A.D., is the equivalent of the date1 given in the inscription, and that the compiler of the almanac from which the details of the above date were taken had given in it Ilh. 45m. 4ls. of Saturday, 23rd March 1185, as the beginning of the solar year and calculated from that moment the moment of occurrence of the mean Makara-samkranti.
2. Date of another Arsikere inscription of the time of Viraballala II (Ep. Car., V. Arsikere 90 ; p. 343): Saka 1111 Kilaka, Puşya-amavdsyd, Somavára, vyalipáta-samkramana.
It will be seen that the details of this date are identical with those of no. 1 given above with the exception that the weekday here is Monday, and not Sunday. Since we have also seen above that on Sunday, 22nd December A.D. 1185, the equivalent of date no. 1, Puşyaamåvåsyå began and ended on the following Monday, it is obvious that this Monday, 23rd December A.D. 1185, is the day denoted by the inscription. According to the Arya Siddhânta, the mean Makara-sankranti occurred after 273 days 22h. 39m. 228. counting from the moment of occurrence of true Mega-samkranti (13h. 22m. 30s. on Sunday, 24th March 1185), at 12h. Im. 528. on this Monday; and the mean tithi Pusya-amâvâsyå too ended on this Monday at 14h. 27m. 28s.
In my above-cited book, I have given Monday, 24th January A.D. 1183, as the equivalent of this date (p. 100; no. 126) and also of four other dates. Comparison with date. no. 1 given above, however, shows clearly that the equivalent of this date is Monday, 23rd December 1185, and not Monday, 24th January 1183. In the same way, the former Monday
The mention of vya ipdta in this date, and in the following datee, is honorific (see in this connection op. cit., p. 19); for, the yoga vyatfpdta can, in no circumstance, occur in conjunction with the tithis citad in these dates.